Meet the Mets
The Mets were clobbered by the Braves 14-3 in another all-around embarrassing effort on national television that included poor pitching, poor defense, and poor hitting. The Mets are now 17 games under .500 and have lost 12 of their last 14, as they continue to free fall, despite a managerial change.
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Choose your recap: Amazin’ Avenue, MLB.com, Newsday, New York Daily News, New York Post
After being snubbed in 2025, Juan Soto has been selected via fan vote as the starting left fielder for the National League All-Star team, surging at the last minute to come in second among outfielders in fan balloting. It is his fifth career All-Star nod and his first as a Met. “They really voted a lot. Mets fans are unbelievable,” Soto said when he heard the news. “I really appreciate everything that they’ve done for me…I think it’s great seeing where I (started) I the votes and then seeing where I finished is incredible.”
Soto also said he is considering participating in the Home Run Derby this year.
The Mets’ very first All-Star, Ron Hunt, is currently in hospice care, per Jay Horwitz.
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John Harper of SNY gave out his midseason grades for the 2026 Mets. To state the obvious, they aren’t pretty.
Though the Mets are in free fall, the rehabbing Clay Holmes doesn’t want out at the trading deadline.
Speaking of Clay Holmes, interim manager Andy Green gave a positive update on Holmes prior to last night’s game, saying that he is “doing well” and will throw a bullpen on Monday in Atlanta as the Mets wrap up their series against the Braves. Green also provided updates on Jorge Polanco and Luis Robert, who are both on rehab assignments. Though he said that nailing down an exact return date for Polanco is “premature,” he continues to take “big steps forward” as he continues to play in rehab games for Triple-A Syracuse. Meanwhile, Robert went hitless yesterday in the third game of his rehab assignment in Syracuse.
Freddy Peralta was supposed to provide stability to the Mets’ rotation, but has been anything but consistent. So what gives? Mario Delgado Genzor of Baseball Prospectus looks into some possible reasons behind Peralta’s struggles in 2026, which don’t have a straightforward answer.
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Around the National League East
The Braves and Phillies are each sending a crop of five players to the All-Star Game.
Jesús Luzardo threw a gem as the Phillies beat the Royals 6-1.
Jackson Stone of MLB.com explores what is going wrong for Phillies reliever José Alvarado, who currently holds a career-worst ERA north of six, and what the Phillies can do to fix it.
The Phillies traded minor league right-hander Ryan Degges to the Guardians in exchange for $250,000 in international bonus pool money, which helped them to sign 17-year-old right-hander Ho Hua out of Taiwan.
The Pirates scored early and often to soundly defeat the Nationals 7-1 in Washington DC on Independence Day.
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But in a full circle moment, the two players that headlined the Juan Soto trade for the Nationals are now All-Stars themselves.
Sandy Alcantara threw eight brilliant innings in the Marlins’ 7-2 victory over the A’s.
The Braves placed shortstop Ha-Seong Kim on the 10-day injured list retroactive to July 1 with right middle finger inflammation. Infielder Kyle Farmer was activated from the injured list and recalled to take Kim’s place on the roster. The Braves also optioned righty Anthony Molina to Triple-A and recalled JR Ritchie.
Veteran Rowdy Tellez, who the Braves designated for assignment on Thursday, has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A. Tellez has enough service time to reject the assignment and elect free agency if he chooses.
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Around Major League Baseball
The full All-Star rosters for the NL and AL were announced last night. Juan Soto is (unsurprisingly) the Mets’ sole representative. The Braves, Dodgers, and Phillies have the largest representation with five players each. Mike Trout leads all players with his 12th time being selected.
In honor of America’s 250th birthday, MLB.com is featuring one baseball story from every U.S. state.
“One thing that I want to add on the record for you guys,” an emotional Willson Contreras said through interpreter Daveson Pérez before Saturday’s Red Sox game against the Angels, “is just an apology for all of the events from last week. All of the things that occurred with the Nationals are things that were very hard and a very emotional time for me.”
This Date in Mets History
On July 5, 1962 the Mets signed Cleon Jones for $1,000. Jones went on to be one of the most valuable members of the 1969 championship squad.
